Cancer Control Research

Abstract

DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Description)
The Healthy People 2000 objectives for tobacco use among adolescents set as
targets a smoking prevalence of no more than 15% and a spit tobacco (ST) use
prevalence of no more than 4%. The latest data indicate that we will not
meet these goals. Besides the need for better tobacco use prevention
programs for children and adolescents, we also need effective cessation
programs for those adolescents who are already suffering some degree of
nicotine addiction. None of the major voluntary health organizations have
developed tobacco cessation programs designed specifically for adolescents.
The PATCH Project proposes to develop a cessation program for school-based
and community-based use that combines known effective strategies for working
with youth, and a pharmacological adjunct previously used with adults.
Subjects for this study will be youth of ages 14-17 residing within a 100
mile radius of Little Rock, AR, who have been using tobacco for at least one
year and who want to quit. The educational materials to be used will be
designed especially for smokers or ST users aged 14-17 and will be combined
with the use of nicotine patches or placebo patches. The study design is a
pre-test, post-test, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical
trial. A control group will receive a 3-5 minute counseling session
followed by a phone call 2 weeks later. One intervention group will receive
an age-appropriate, pilot-ested 6-week educational program combined with
nicotine replacement therapy while the second intervention group will
receive the same educational program but will receive a placebo patch. Both
patch groups will receive frequent follow-up telephone counseling sessions.
All 3 groups' tobacco use status will be determined at the end of years 1
and 2.
If this program is found to be effective it will provide the basis for
significantly reducing the prevalence of tobacco use among adolescents and
will be able to be offered at both schools and community sites.